By JIM BUTLER

It’s three weeks until public schools reopen, and 10-month employees begin their new work year Thursday, followed on August 5 by teachers and August 11 by students.

A significant change for parents and teachers this year is use of a new vendor for mapping student progress.

The days of end-of-grading period surprises are long gone. Teacher-provided information is available on-line on a regular basis.

The parish has switched from PowerSchool to OnCourse for its student information system.

Downloading the OnCourse Connect app and establishing communication links allows parents and guardians to check grades, attendance, and reports.

The School Board website contains a tutorial for guidance in creating an account through the new portal.